High-Tech Navy Ship Crashed and Sank After Crew Accidentally Left It on Autopilot: Inquiry

New Zealand naval ship HMNZS Manawanui was on autopilot when it crashed into a coral reef, caught ablaze and sank in Samoan waters, according to an official inquiry.

An initial report from the inquiry released on Friday demonstrates that crewmembers became concerned when they could not steer the ship in a different direction, believing that this was caused by an issue with the vessel's thruster. However, no crew member reportedly checked if the ship was operating on autopilot, reported the BBC.

"Muscle memory from the person in control should have leaned over to that panel and checked whether the screen said autopilot or not," Navy chief Garin Golding told reporters, who admitted that "the direct cause of the grounding has been determined as a series of human errors."

"I want to reassure the public of New Zealand that we will learn from this situation and that it is on me, as the Chief of Navy, to earn back your trust," he continued.

The "top of the line" naval ship sank in early October, following an accident that confused both crew members and political officials.

"It's confusing how she's in this situation right now," Ron Mark, who previously served as New Zealand's Defense Minister in 2019, told The Post after the incident. "She's a hydrographic ship. She has some of the best equipment on board for surveying the sea floor. I'm keenly interested to know what brought the circumstances out."

Commander Yvonne Gray decided to evacuate the ship about an hour after the initial collision occurred, and all 75 people aboard were safely removed and returned to shore. Online trolls attributed the ship's sinking to the gender of its female captain, a narrative that was condemned by New Zealand's Defense Minister Judith Collins.